Palin about to close deal on travelogue show for Discovery

posted at 2:40 pm on March 24, 2010 by Ed Morrissey

Three weeks ago, Allahpundit wrote that the media got pretty excited over reports that Sarah Palin had shopped a proposal for a reality-TV series around Los Angeles. Unfortunately for Palin’s critics, it wasn’t a “reality show” at all, but a standard travelogue program focusing on Alaska with Palin as its guide. Washington Post TV critic Lisa DeMoraes reports today that the deal seems done, but pines for an Osbournes-like disaster instead:

After trying unsuccessfully to sell to the broadcast networks a travelogue series about Alaska that would feature none other than SARAH PALIN, reality-TV king Mark Burnett appears to be in negotiations with Discovery Communications about placing the Palin “reality series” there.

Discovery is expected to announce soon that it’s getting into bed with the former Alaska governor for this limited-run series.

Earlier this month, Burnett, best known for executive-producing CBS’s “Survivor” and NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” shopped the show around in Los Angeles, with Palin, to the broadcast networks for a reported price of about $1 million an episode, which is a lot of lettuce for a salmon-fishing and moose-skinning travelogue.

The broadcast networks appear to have passed because the show is not called “The Palins,” and it is not about Palin, her unwed daughter Bristol and baby Tripp, her potshot-taking nearly son-in-law Levi, her hot-looking husband Todd, and her baby with Down syndrome whom we all fell in love with during the 2008 presidential race, Trig.

“If it was ‘The Osbournes,’ and they were going to follow [Palin's] family, then it would be interesting,” one broadcast exec said, sadly, as if mourning what might have been.

No, Palin was not about to create a reality show that would have endorsed every potshot her critics aimed at her through her family in 2008 and afterward. In fact, this is only a “reality” show in the sense that documentaries are “reality movies,” Michael Moore’s entries notwithstanding. Travelogues have a long and worthy history on television, and Discovery has some of the best, although the National Geographic channel has more claim to the market.

Will the Palin travelogue of Alaska be worth the reported asking price of $1 million per episode, assuming the show gets that price? Probably. Discovery will gain some attention for the sheer novelty of having a former national candidate conduct a tour of her home state. Most Americans are unfamiliar with Alaska, and such a show would tend to close a cultural gap as well as a geographic one. I’d bet that Discovery is eyeing the potential DVD sales, too.

For Palin, the calculus is more obvious. She gets to front a non-political, non-threatening series, presumably high caliber, that will increase her stature in a positive manner. She’ll make money from the venture, obviously, although not as much as writing another book would bring. More importantly, the project will help to make people more comfortable with Palin, although it may also increase criticism of Palin for pursuing celebrity rather than policy. The prestige factor of creating this project with Discovery will limit that kind of criticism, however, as Discovery hardly falls into the same category as Spike TV.

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Thank you! But I’m not your problem. I’m just one anonymous commenter on a message board. Palin has to convince independents why she left the governorship half-way through her first time, to … what? Sell books? Star on a TV show and be a Fox News pundit?

Many politicians run for higher office while still in another elected office. That’s not “quitting.” The Democrats you mentioned did that. But so did George W. Bush. So did most members of the Senate.

Palin has to convince independents why she left the governorship half-way through her first time, to … what? Sell books? Star on a TV show and be a Fox News pundit?

YYZ on March 24, 2010 at 5:42 PM

She & we have explained it hundreds, if not thousands of times: she resigned due to the unending stream of ethics charges being made against her by Obama operatives.
They were bankrupting her personally, as well as the state of AK and made it impossible for her to govern.
While I believe she’d already contracted to write at least 1 book even before she resigned, the TV stuff came later.
As for the money, is it her fault that she’s popular?

The left really can’t stand a Republican woman being a beautiful, smart, well spoken, pro-life Christian role model for young women. They will trash her with every little innuendo and blatant smear they can conjure.

We have some RINO’s and liberal trolls in here who also dance to the Palin bashing tune the liberals constantly whistle.

Many politicians run for higher office while still in another elected office. That’s not “quitting.” The Democrats you mentioned did that. But so did George W. Bush. So did most members of the Senate.
That doesn’t make it right.

It should be abolished as a practice. Politicians should absolutely have to step down from current positions if they want to run for a higher one. That was one honorable thing that Bob Dole did.

It is absolutely unfair for politicians to take my dollar to get themselves another job.

What private employer would EVER let you take a paycheck for working on your resume, going on interviews, taking phone calls, and otherwise spending your days getting another job?

“They all do it,” is not a reasonable response. They should all STOP doing it.

hrh40 on March 24, 2010 at 6:01 PM

Maybe it should be abolished but you Palinites sound silly bringing it up after George Bush did the exact same thing and John McCain would have if he won. Bob Dole probably wanted to retire from the Senate anyway and the Presidential race just gave him an honorable excuse. He certainly knew he wasn’t going to beat Clinton.

I’s ignoramuses here that don’t get this: It’s called SUCCESS. It’s called working hard to earn your keep. It’s called Capitalism. It’s called simple jealousy because libs do not understand that honest hard work is totally contrary to HANDOUTS. There are so many ways to denigrate, insult a person and her family.

I am still glad Paul Ryan has not been Palinized. The LSM and jerks around here better leave him alone and his family. And again, losers lower themselves by keeping up with this crap. Stop piling on Sarah and her family; y’all are fair target enough for us.

I know Governor Palin wanted to stay and finish her term-she was happy and the citizens of AK were happy with her.
Obama’s operatives made that impossible.

Obama was too busy hiding his Kenyan (it’s Kenya, right?) birth certificate to force Palin from the governorship. So how do you explain her quitting on the Friday afternoon before July 4, even though she wanted to stay and finish her term?

Maybe it should be abolished but you Palinites sound silly bringing it up after George Bush did the exact same thing and John McCain would have if he won. Bob Dole probably wanted to retire from the Senate anyway and the Presidential race just gave him an honorable excuse. He certainly knew he wasn’t going to beat Clinton.

Speedwagon82 on March 24, 2010 at 6:34 PM

note to liberals the fact that Bush “did it” is not a defense. Bush left office with a 40% approval rating do you really want to model yourself after him. Oh wait Obama’s approval rating is around 40% I gurss you do.

To use a football analogy if you were a team entrenched in 2nd place running neck and neck with the frontrunner and the other teams were far behind you, would sports writers be talking about the team folding or would it more likely be talking about their prospects once playoff season rolled around?

Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin are neck and neck and no one else is even in sight except for maybe Mike Huckabee who is not attending the SRLC in his own backyard.

And you dare to suggest that Palin is not going to run in 2012. You must have let a sheltered life and not watched much sports.

Palin has to convince independents why she left the governorship half-way through her first time, to … what? Sell books? Star on a TV show and be a Fox News pundit?
YYZ on March 24, 2010 at 5:42 PM

Palin has been a more effective proponent of conservative values outside the governor’s office – yes, writing a book, appearing on Fox…etc. She can now push her agenda without legal limitations. Her opponents were making it almost impossible for her to govern and have an opinion at the same time. But this is plainly obvious to most sensible people.

And here’s YYZzzzzzzzz bitching in a thread about her hosting a TV series showcasing the state she loves. Really? This is a problem in your life? Man, you are pathetic.

For Palin, the calculus is more obvious. She gets to front a non-political, non-threatening series, presumably high caliber, that will increase her stature in a positive manner. She’ll make money from the venture, obviously, although not as much as writing another book would bring. More importantly, the project will help to make people more comfortable with Palin, although it may also increase criticism of Palin for pursuing celebrity rather than policy. The prestige factor of creating this project with Discovery will limit that kind of criticism, however, as Discovery hardly falls into the same category as Spike TV.

That may all be true, but you’re overlooking one simple but big motivator for Palin: she honestly loves her state. She promised she would continue to promote her state when she resigned as governor. So it’s both a labor of love, and the keeping of a promise.

Even those who don’t want her to run for President should at least appreciate her genuineness.